Cattle Decapitation: Concert Review

I've been anticipating this  concert ever since it was announced. Now that I have experienced Cattle Decapitation in their full glory, I am blown away. Although my neck will be hurting for the next week, and some of my comrades left the venue bruised and bloody, it was totally worth the pain. Here's why:

A Malicious Plague were the opening band. One song would emphasize shredding guitar solos, the next would highlight the noodling bass lines, and yet another song would be centered around percussion.  Each band member excelled in his particular instrument, and together they delivered an excellent performance, though no two songs sounded alike. 

Impaled Offering fucking killed it. The vocals were delivered in a low-pitched, deep growl. The guitars were dissonant and caustic as hell, with furious drumming in the background. Whether you are into brutal death metal like Cryptopsy or goregrind like Exhumed, Impaled Offering definitely delivers a raw, violent sound to rival the best in the metal industry.

Yar could  potentially be my favorite act out of the whole bill. They played some songs I didn't recognize from their self-titled debut, so this was presumably new material from an upcoming album. There is heart and depth behind their aggressive, thrashy sound. Of all the bands who performed, Yar had the most emotive quality. Although the guitar riffs were the focal point, the kickass vocals, percussion, and bass lines all complemented each other. 

Fields Of Elysium are focused on musical technique. Although their music is extreme, this is not mosh material. The style is very technical and somewhat reminiscent of Jazz. Sometimes these strange musical arrangements sound brilliant, but on the other hand,  the abrupt tempo changes in both percussion and string instruments can be quite jarring. Nonetheless, there are enough breakdowns and guitar sweeps to satisfy most purists (i.e. metal nerds).

  

Carrion Kind, characterized by a melodic thrash style,  played many songs that fans would recognize from Conglomerate Of Misery, their debut album released in 2014. They saved their best for last, performing my favorite track, Memoirs Of A  Lost Civilization, as the final song in their set. Catchy drum beats and guitar hooks were overlapped by gutteral vocals. Excellent performance, as always. 

Cattle Decapitation are infamous for making incredibly violent, angry music. Although only two members of the current line up are vegetarian, the lyrics remain pessimistic and misanthropic condemnations of mankind’s tendency to perpetually fuck itself over. The mosh pits were insane, and I was ecstatic when they ended the night with Kingdom Of Tyrants, one of their best and most notorious tracks. 

Thanks to Metal World Radio, Kronos Creative, and The Locker Room, who made this show possible. Also a special shout out to Attack Research, whose generous sponsorship contributed immensely to the event's success. 

All things considered, this was an amazing concert. Four stars out of five.  

Upcoming Shows

Ha! What a great flyer. At long last, As In We are back to play at 2nd Street Brewery on New Years Eve. (Note that this is the original  brewery which is actually located on 2nd Street.) Doors open at 10 pm, music starts around 11. Oh, and Also, it's FREE! Only things to keep in mind are to tip your bartender, buy some merch, and don't drive drunk.

On Jan 7 2015, Hanta will be playing their album release show with Iceolus, Yar, and...DJ Muffins? One of these things is not like the others. The show will take place at Sister, a bar on Central. Cover is only $5.

If the 80's have taught me anything, it's that Battles Of The Bands kick major ass. This one is sponsored by Rock U Night, 94 Rock, an even Jim Beam. 

Here is an updated flyer with the final line up. If you haven't already acquired tickets for this concert, they are available on Hold My Ticket or from any of the local bands (Carrion Kind, Fields Of Elysium, Yar, Impaled Offering, and A Malicious Plague.) The price of tix goes up if you buy them at the door, so I suggest you get them in advance.  The madness takes place at 6:30 pm,  January Tenth at The Locker Room. Let's get rowdy. 

Upcoming Shows: *UPDATED*

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First and foremost, I am pleased to announce that CATTLE FREAKING DECAPITATION is coming to my humble hometown to play at The Locker Room on January tenth. That's one way to start 2015 with a bang. The official line up inlcudes Carrion Kind, Fields Of Elysium, Yar, Impaled Offering and A Malicious Plague.

Meanwhile, in Albuqurque, Launchpad will be hosting this show on December 18th. Show some love to Omingnome, touring from Georgia. 

I've never heard of any of these bands, but the flyer looks cool, so here ya go. 

 Until Chaos are back in the scene, and their reunion show will feature Savage Wizdom! Plus the venue is called The Damn Bar and if that doesn't make you want to go, you're a lost cause. 

The day after Jesus' fake birthday, Music Is The Enemy will be playing with Beard and Futilitarian at Burt's Tiki Lounge in Albuquerque. I definitely want to score some of MITE's sweet new merch. Check it:

Sha-weet!

On the same day, Inanimate Existence will be playing at the brand spanking new venue, Blu Pheonix, with support from Impaled Offering, Omnicast, Diminished Existence, and...Lithopaedion? How the fuck do you pronounce that? Whatever, looks like a kickass show. 

Last but not least, here is a show for you Oakland metalheads. I haven't heard of Bog Oak, but they have a wicked logo and I definitely have love for Wayfarer and Infinite Waste. Since I'm a couple thousand miles away, I won't make it to this gig, but if you happen to be in the area, do yourself a favor and check it out.

If you know of any more concerts and events, you can contact me here. Until then, I'm out. 

Yar: Yar

Yar is a Santa Fe based thrash metal band characterized by wicked intricate guitar licks , harsh vocals, and lightning speed drumming. The result is a tortured, angry, and cathartic flashback to the death/thrash metal of the late 80's. I do not invoke the name "Death" in vain, and I can honestly say that  Yar emulates their seminal album, Scream Bloody Gore. Obviously, Yar has an updated sound that will appeal to modern metalheads, but their musical inspiration from the likes of Chuck Shuldiner is apparent.  The sound quality of this self-titled demo is impressive.  Although distorted and caustic, the music is delivered with  crispness and  clarity. With only three tracks, each of which is superb, it's hard to play favorites. In fact, no particular song outshines the others, but each brings something different to the table while being cohesive with the rest of the album.

I can't help but assume that Urge To Brew has something to do with beer. It has a straightforward yet intoxicating rhythm, juxtaposed with low growls delivering indecipherable lyrics. If you needed an excuse to wear acid washed jeans and high  top Adidas, this is it. The instrumentation has a dark depth to it, and although Urge To Brew is brilliant in its simplicity, it also features some memorable moments of epic shredding.

Emerald Cave is an intriguing track, with it's cryptic title, rowdy guitar riffs, and frantic tempo. Personally, I have a need for speed and this song satisfies. If you ever get the pleasure of seeing Yar live, this will be the song that make you bang your head so hard that you will bruise your sternum from repeated impact with your chin. I'm speaking from experience, and I am not fucking kidding. Again, the vocals sound awesome but are nearly impossible to understand (the only words I could make out were "entrance" and "darkness"), but that does nothing to diminish the impact of this magnificently brutal track.

System Suicide, like early speed and thrash,  is clearly inspired by the aggression of punk rock but unmistakably metal in essence. Those damn catchy guitar riffs will get stuck in your head, and it's easy to lose yourself in the machine-gun style  percussion. Also, that's one hell of a solo. This is a well executed yet organic song, full of pure rage and energy.

All things considered, this release hangs together well, but each song still retains its own unique depth and texture. Most demos don't sound half this good. Feel free to give Yar some love on Bandcamp and Facebook   Four stars out of five.

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